WASHINGTON – The Science Coalition (TSC) issued the following statement after the House Committee on Appropriations passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF):

“These federal research agencies power fundamental scientific research on university campuses across the country. Members of the House Appropriations Committee should be commended for increasing investments to core science agencies, which in turn support researchers and students at America’s universities, stimulate the economy, and drive our nation’s global competitiveness.

“This is an important and positive step forward in the appropriations process, however, much work still remains. We continue to urge Congress and the administration to reach a budget deal soon, enabling the Senate to jumpstart its appropriations process and avert automatic and indiscriminate spending cuts known as sequestration.”

Under the proposed legislation, federal research agencies would see the following federal funding:

  • $22.32 billion total for NASA ($815 million over FY19)
  • $8.64 billion total for NSF ($516.14 million over FY19)
  • $5.48 billion total for NOAA ($54.28 million over FY19)
  • $1.04 billion total for NIST ($54.67 million over FY19)

Congress has until October 1 to avoid unilateral spending cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011, including a nine percent post-sequester cut for non-defense discretionary spending and an 11 percent cut for defense basic research spending. Research cuts to federal research agencies would total more than an estimated $5.1 billion.

A recent nationwide poll conducted by The Science Coalition found the American public overwhelmingly supports federal investment in fundamental research, and a majority of voters believe scientific investment should increase.

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About the Science Coalition

Established in 1994, The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive America’s global competitiveness.